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40" Balsa Basics Spitfire

(3 reviews)
£119.99

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FLIGHT VIDEO
Watch how the Balsa Basics Spitfire takes to the air while taking a closer look at how it has been designed to be the ideal beginner warbird model.

A Spitfire for Everyone

The Balsa Basics Spitfire has been designed to be a great intermediate level flyer that is easy to build. Unlike other warbird models out there, this one has a very light wing-loading and gentle characteristics. It can slow right down without tip-stalling, which makes landing a breeze and keeps hand launching drama free. If you've flown at least one other aileron model before this, you should be ready to fly this Spitfire.

 

Easy to Build

As well as being designed with predictable flying characteristics at the top of the brief, ease of build (as with all of our Balsa Basics designs) was a priority. Precision laser cut parts fit together seamlessly to build up the elliptical wing section with a cleverly integrated double spar that slots around each rib. The leading and trailing edges clip into notches at the ends of each rib and the aileron spar provides a ton of rigidity that keeps the structure tight.

As far as the fuselage goes, a central box section is built up from interlocking, self-jigging, light-ply components to form the nose and cockpit of the aircraft. Balsa fuselage sides and more formers bring the tail together with balsa stringers added to capture those iconic Spitfire lines.

Please Note: this is an airframe kit and will need your own electronics, radio gear, battery, 55mm spinner and covering material (scroll down for all the things you will need)

 

More Detailed than You Might Think

Although clearly meant to be a very simple, fun-scale model of the Spitfire, this aircraft does come with exhaust stacks and a vacuum-formed plastic canopy. The aircraft can be covered and finished in a variety of ways to bring it to life. This kit is really a blank canvas for you to use to build the Spitfire you want to fly.

Boxy but Beautiful

Simple beginner-friendly balsa construction results in a simple but elegant model.

Easy Battery Access

There's plenty of room in here for 3s LiPo batteries up to a 2200 (which is the recommended size for this model).

Belly Lander

To do away with complex, fragile retracts, the Balsa Basics Spitfire is a belly lander meaning you can launch and land in a variety of flying fields. A quick underarm hand launch and you're up in the air.

 

Video Instructions and Flight Video

(Download alternative written instructions as a PDF in the 'Additional Resources' tab at the bottom of this page)

Unlike many of our other more complicated kits, the Balsa Basics Spitfire doesn't need to be built over a plan and can be constructed on a standard-sized kitchen table with some basic tools. All you need is to follow this video along step-by-step:

 

Get this Kit with an Electronics Pack

This kit does not include a motor, electronics or radio gear - you will have to provide your own.

The Balsa Basics Spitfire is designed to work with our Speed Electronics Pack, which includes a brushless motor, Electronic Speed Controller (ESC), servos and more. It can also be flown on the slower Standard Electronics Pack, if you want to reuse the electronics from your Balsa Basics Cub, for example.

Click here to buy the Balsa Basics Spitfire with Electronics Pack  included.

 

 

Needed to Complete

If you wish to supply your own electronics and building suppliies, here is what you will need:

Recommended Standard Motor Size - MT2215 1180KV
Propeller Size -  10x4.5
Recommended ESC Size - 30A
Recommended Battery - 1500mah-2200mah 3s Lipo
Servo Size - 9g (need 4x for this model)
Recommended glue - Roket Hot CA
Recommended covering material - Oracover
 

Kit Contents:

  • Laser cut components (including 2x ply sheets, balsa sheets, balsa strip wood sheet, and thin ply sheet with control horns)
  • 18swg (1.2mm) x 19 inch (480mm) piano wire pushrods (no z bend)
  • 18swg (1.2mm) x 4 inch (100mm) piano wire aileron pushrods (no z
  • bend)
  • 1/8th (3.175mm) x 9inch (230mm) hardwood dowel
  • 1 x Vacuum-formed scale plastic canopy
  • 4 x M3 T-nuts
  • 4 x M3 bolts
  • 12 x Mylar hinges
  • 4 x Rubber Wing bands

Detailed Specs

Wingspan - 40" / 1016mm
Build Skill Level - Beginner 
Flying Skill Level - Intermediate
Channels - 4 (throttle, ailerons, elevator and rudder)
Power System - Electric Brushless
Scale: 1/12
 

BALSA BASICS SPITFIRE INSTRUCTIONS

Download written instructions for the Balsa Basics Spitfire here:Balsa Basics Spitfire Instructions

Wingspan:
42" (1070mm)

Reviews

  • 5
    Awesome

    Posted by Jim on 19th May 2021

    Inovative design perfect for first time builders! Flies nice and docile for a Spit which makes it enjoyable and stress-free. Fab! Now for the Hurricane...

  • 4
    40" Balsa Basics Spitfire

    Posted by Richard Sharman on 12th May 2021

    Having seen this advertised in BMFA News I thought it would be a great project to do during the Covid Lockdown, and so it proved. It is an excellent kit and makes up into a nice little model which flies very well - congratulations to VMC for producing this. What I liked: the design is simple, the construction is straightforward. The wood is reasonable if a little on the brittle side, the laser cutting is exquisite - everything fitted perfectly. The resulting model is quite good looking and flies well with no vices.. What I didn't like: (1) the construction is stringers over which covering is stretched. This leads to a very curious spitfire more like a old timer biplane whereas it should have smooth surfaces. I covered the leading edge and fuselage topdeck in 2mm balsa sheet and the appearance improved dramatically. (2) My main complaint is that the nose if too boxy - I extended it with 6mm block which allowed much better fairing to the shape of the spinner. (3) the model is designed to hand launch and belly land, but I fly off a concrete runway and this is not good for belly landings. I fitted very light main legs and wheels - not very good scale, but you can't see them when the model is in the air, and it does allow brilliant take-offs and landings (if you are careful to keep the nose up and the tail down on touchdown). Overall, a very good little model, now had lots of flights. I chose the colours of the Silver Spitfire Longest Flight as a change from air force camouflage. Well done VMC and I look forward to more (bigger) models of this type in the future !

  • 4
    Spitfire

    Posted by Richard Fellender on 15th Jan 2021

    Easy to build and flys really well only downside rear stringer behind cockpit could be stronger or better supported by ribs